1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate generally to concrete formliners and methods of using the same. More specifically, the present inventions relate to an improved formliner that reduces and/or eliminates visible seams in order to create a more natural appearance in a finished product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Decorative masonry and concrete construction have become increasingly popular in recent years. The facades of homes and other buildings that had previously been constructed in very simple and plain concrete are now being replaced with either decorative stone and brick or decorative concrete construction.
As a result of the increased demand for stone and brick work, various improvements have been made in stone and brick masonry and concrete construction. These improvements have lowered the cost for such construction by decreasing the time or skill requirements previously needed to perform such work.
For example, in stone and brick masonry, facings and floors have traditionally constructed by skilled artisans from individual units. However, recent advances have been made in the masonry art which allow artisans to more quickly and accurately perform stone or brick work. In particular, various panels, forms, and mounting systems have been developed that allow individual units to be placed in precise geometric patterns, thus eliminating much of the painstaking effort usually expended by the artisan. This now allows generally unskilled artisans, such as the do-it-yourselfer, to create a high-quality product.
Perhaps more importantly for projects with a tighter budget, advances in concrete construction now allow artisans to create a faux stone or brick appearance in concrete with a formliner. As a result, one may achieve the appearance of stone or brick without the associated cost.
A concrete formliner generally comprises an interior surface onto which concrete is poured. The interior surface of the formliner typically includes a desired pattern or shape that will be transferred to the exposed surface of the concrete to form a cured concrete casting. In many cases, the formliner is lined up with additional formliners to create a pattern over a wide area. The concrete casting can be created in a horizontal (such as for tilt up construction) or vertical casting process, and can be pre-cast, or cast-at-site construction.
After the concrete has cured, the formliners are removed from the exposed surface of the concrete, thus revealing the desired pattern or shape. Such patterns or shapes can include faux stone or brick, wave patterns, emblems, etc.